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(No Model.)

D.D.GREGORY.

APPARATUS FOR PUNGHING OHBGKS. A I 7 No. 355,764. A Patented Jan 11, 1887 ooooo ooooo k1 N. PETERS Pholo-Lflbogmplwr. Washingicll. ac.

.QNITED STATES PATENT a men.

DAVIDYD. GREGORY, OF'SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS Foe PUNCHING CHECKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. sssneejaatea January 11, 1887.

Application filed February 19, 1886. Serial No. 192,535. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID D. GREGORY, of

Syracuse, county of Onondaga, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Punching Checks, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to construct an apparatus capable of easy and rapid'adjustment for. marking or otherwise representing upon a bank-check or other monetary instrument one ormore characters, symbols, or indications, the positions of which may be varied according to the numberof dollars represented by the instrument, such positioning of the characters, symbols, or indications permitting the face value of the check to be interpreted 'by comparison or registration with an arbitrarily-designed key.

In the United States Letters Patent No. 217,478, granted to me July 15,1879, plans were set forth for arbitrarily indicating the value of a check by means which had to'be interpreted through a key.

The object of the present invention is to facilitate the practice of the aforementioned patented invention; and the said present invention relates to an apparatus for imparting to thecheck the secret or arbitrary marks or characters whereby its integrity is protected.

The apparatus herein described, embodying the present invention, contains a series of illdependently-movable slides carrying indicating-tools to either mark, imprint, or perforate the paper, a suitable plunger being provided for operating the said tools with respect to the paper.

An index table or plate, numbered to correspend with the key accompanying the apparatus, is provided, whereby'the said tool-carrying slides may be moved a definite distance to fall opposite figures corresponding with the figures expressed in the face value of the check, to thus so position the indicatingtools that the indications made by them will register with the key and correctly determine the face value of the check, to thereby detect any fraudulent or deceptive intent. The business-house drawing the check indicates the face value the banking-house upon which the checks are to be described, while the key may be kept at drawn. ,Each person is provided with a key having a differently-arranged set of figures, and the index plate or table of each apparatus is arranged to correspond with the key accompanying it.

Figure 1 shows in topview an apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention, the plunger being partly broken out to show the arrangement of the two indicating-tools; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line 00 m,- Fig. 3, a cross-section of Fig. 2, taken on the dotted line y y,- Figs. 4 and 5,'modifications to be referred to, and Fig. 6 a detail on a smaller scale, showing the clearing-slots in the base-plate of my apparatus. 1

The base-plate A, of suitable shape, (herein shown as rectangular,) is provided for a portion of its length with side pieces, A,-to form a box-like portion to contain the movable parts. The forward portion of the base-plate A is hollowed out to receive the movable 7 parts, and to the baseplate is attached a hollow guide or head, A which overhangs the base-plate, leaving between the base-plate and overhanging guide or head a slot or opening, a, in which the check, note, or other instru-. ment to be stamped or provided with symbols, characters, orindications is placed.

The head A contains a longitudinal plate, 1), herein shown as carrying two indicatingtools, b, one at each end, which tools are held vertically in the said plate, and are controlled by springs, as at 11 to thereby keep the tools elevated. (See details, Figs. 1, 3, and 6.) This guide-plate bis fixed with relation to the head 0 A, and the indicating tools carried by it serve to mark, imprint, or perforate the check, the indications thus made being adapted to register with correspondingly-positioned imdres'sions upon a .key, not shown, but of 5 similar construction to the key described in the patent referred to. The indicating-tools b are herein shown as located at each end of the stationary guide-plate b,- but it is obvious that they may be placed in any other different we position desired, The stationary guide-plate b has a cooperating anvil-block, b herein .shown as having holes I), in which the indieating-tools enter when forced downward, the positions of the holes bcorresponding with the positions of the indicating-tools I), being herein shown as of suitable construction to perforate the check; but it is obvious that the same may be employed to mark, imprint, or otherwise indicate upon the check one or more indications which shall register with similar indications upon the key, in order to properly position the check with relation to the key. The head A is also provided with a series of movable slides, 0, herein shown as five in number;ne of which is broken out in Fig. 3, of similar shape, and each, provided with slots 0, in which the check or note to be side A of the frame.

stamped is placed. Each of the movable slides is provided at its forward end with a verticallymoving indicating-tool, 0 held in its upright position and controlled by a spring, 0 the indicating-tool in this instance being of similar construction to the indicating-tool b.

The forward end of the lower portion of the movable slide 0V is provided with a hole or opening, 0, in which the indicating-tool enters as it perforates the check; but, as previously described, it a printing, marking, or indicating tool other than the perforating-tool is to be employed, a suitable anvil-block will be employed instead of the opening or hole 0". The base'plate A has clearing-slots s, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

The slides a are moved. lengthwise of the machine back and forth by finger-pieces e, attached to the rear end of each slide, and extending vertically, so as to follow in the guideways 6, cut in the top plate, cl, secured to the The bars (1, forming the sides ofthe said guideways e, are notched on one side, as at d", in which a spring-tongne,

e", attached to each finger-piece e, enters, to

thereby lock each movable slide 0 in any definite position in which it is left after moving it by the finger-piece c.

A series of bars, f, are mounted upon the notched bars 1, said bars f being each provided with a set of arbitrarily-arranged figures,.the position of which coincide with the notches of the bar d, the figures of each of the bars f being differently arranged.

The bars f in order may represent units, tens, hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands, increasing according to the number of bars employed, and in such instances each bar f will be provided with ten figures coinciding with ten notches upon the bar d, while the said bars d also have a unison-notch, in which the finger-piece 6 may be locked, and indicat ing-tools c" not be depressed, the upper twofinger-pieces, e e, in Fig. 1, being so arranged.

YVhen it is desired to mark or otherwise in- .dicate on a check its face valuein eoderepresentations, the slides c,earry1ng the indicatingtools, are moved by the finger-pieces e to the numbers upon the bars f corresponding to the numbers of the face value of the check, and,

as shown in Fig. 1, they are so moved to mark a check drawn for four hundred and fifty-three dollars, the indicating-tools in such instance being in the position shown by the circles 0. (See Fig. 6.) After the slides 0 have thus been brought into proper position, the check or note is placed-in the slot a, and a plunger, m, of suitable shape to strike the indicating-tools, irrespective of their position, except while at their unison-point, is forced downward by the operator, thus marking, imprinting, perforating, or otherwise representing upon a checka series of indications, the position of which, when co-operating with a properly-arranged key, as previously set forth, may determine the face value of the check.

The key to be employed with each machine is provided with an arbitrarily-arranged set of figures corresponding with the figures upon the bars f, which form an index-table.

As it is necessary for each business-house employing the apparatus herein described to have a key of its own arranged differently from the other keys, it is necessary that the plates or bars f be easily and cheaply modified or changed to present adiflerent arrangement of figures to correspond with the respective keys, and by referring to Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown the notched cross-bar d as provided with a series of holes, dflcoiuciding with the notches upon the said bars, and headed pins d are inserted in the said holes d the heads of the pins bearing the figures. The pins d may be fixed in the holes d", or, if it is desired to change the combination at any time, the said pins may be merely inserted, thus permitting them to be easily withdrawn when desired.

, The mechanism herein employed to operate the plunger m consists of the spindle or rod a, guided in a curved arm, or, attached to the overhanging frame A", the said spindle or rod n being held in elevated position bya spring, in, a suitable knob or hand-piece, n, being attached to the top portion of the spindle or rod n for depressing the plunger; but it is obvions that the plunger may be depressed in any usual or suitable man ner as, for instance,

ber of indicating or marking tools, a plunger for actuating said tools, and a set of registering-tools, substantially as described.

'2; In an apparatus for providing a check or other monetary instrument with symbols,

characters, or indications, one or more mov- In testimony whereof I have signed my name able plates having finger-pieces and springto this specification in the presence of two sub- 10 tongues, and indicating-tools carried by the scribing Witnesses. said plates and. an index plate for giefinit-ely 5 positioning; the said indicating-tools, com- DAVID GREGORY g bined with bars d, having notches, one for Witnesses:

each fignreor character of the index-plates, G. W. GREGORY,

substantially as described. v B. J. NoYEs. 

